Gone Girl: A Novel

It is Nick and Amy Dunne's fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick's clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn't doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media - as well as Amy's fiercely doting parents - the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he's definitely bitter - but is he really a killer?

Where does Gone Girl rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I've listened to all of Gillian Flynn's book and this was enjoyable and exciting. "Dark Places" is still my favorite of her books though and I'd rate that a full five stars.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Gone Girl?

Gone Girl was unique in the way the characters were revealed little by little in alternating chapters. On the surface we were introduced to a married couple who seem to be sharing the intimacies of their marries. As the book progresses it's apparent that something is wrong because the stories diverge in a way that makes it clear someone is not telling the truth. During the course of the book I could not tell who to believe, which built the drama and excitement as I tried to figure out the puzzle.

What does Julia Whelan and Kirby Heyborne bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I enjoyed having separate voices, which allowed for very distinct characters to emerge.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I could not wait to get back to this as the story raced to an impending drama. Flynn kept me constantly surprised as she dosed out the real story a little at a time. One of the most exciting listens I've had for awhile.

Any additional comments?

Any Gillian Flynn is worth a listen because of her innovative plots and interesting characters. Definitely one of my favorite writers and I'm glad she's finally broken out of the pack with a bestseller!

When I read Law & Disorder by John Douglas, I became interested in the West Memphis 3 and watched the Paradise Lost documentaries. What a treat to learn that Damien Echols had just published his memoir. I immediately grabbed the Audible edition, which has Damien reading his own words. It would be difficult to approach this book without feeling compassion for what Echols has been through, but if I thought that the reaction to this book was predicated on how people felt about the case, I was wrong. It's gotten high praise and reviews and for good reason. This story is beyond amazing. Not only is Damien's tale of life behind bars riveting, but it's well written. Poetic and full of insight. He's an elegant writer with spare prose that's reflective of his approach to life. I avoid mainstream memoirs which unabashedly play on the heartstrings--they are common and dull. This is nothing like that. I was elevated and transformed by Damien's experience, told in his own words. It made me love my own life and appreciate all life a little bit more. Life After Death is a living poem. I could not stop listening. Insight after insight pours from the soul of this wrongly convicted man. Impossible not to savor, like a living poem. Thank you Damien for this wonderful gift.

14

There are some odd things about Nate’s new apartment. Of course, he has other things on his mind. He hates his job. He has no money in the bank. No girlfriend. No plans for the future. So while his new home isn’t perfect, it’s livable. The rent is low, the property managers are friendly, and the odd little mysteries don’t nag at him too much. At least, not until he meets Mandy, his neighbor across the hall, and notices something unusual about her apartment. And Xela’s apartment. And Tim’s. And Veek’s.

Great characters who reacted realistically to events. A deeply mysterious circumstance which kept me guessing. I wanted to step inside the story and live it with the city dwellers. Engendered a sense of wonder and awe. Masterfully crafted mystery with a sci-fi core.

Alas, Babylon

This true modern masterpiece is built around the two fateful words that make up the title and herald the end - “Alas, Babylon.” When a nuclear holocaust ravages the United States, a thousand years of civilization are stripped away overnight, and tens of millions of people are killed instantly. But for one small town in Florida, miraculously spared, the struggle is just beginning, as men and women of all backgrounds join together to confront the darkness....

I was resistant to trying this title because I always pick up on outdated technologies in a book and they don't ring true. I needn't have worried. This book is stunning and never for one second did I even realize that this wasn't present day America. Frank sticks to human nature as he explores a post-apocalyptic future, and human nature is the same generation to generation.

What other book might you compare Alas, Babylon to and why?

The Road by Cormac McCarthy is another view of a civilization gone awry, but with a different conclusion. Frank's account relies on the strength of human goodness to build a brighter outcome. We don't known which vision will ultimately be more realistic until the time comes.

What does Will Patton bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I loved the narration of this book. Will Patton's everyman style of delivery was a perfect fit for the setting--small town USA. The characters came alive.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I felt deeply for the characters and looked forward to a conclusion which would bring them some relief from the unknown.

Any additional comments?

I'm still impressed that I read this fifty years after it was written and it was as fresh and insightful as if it had been written yesterday. That's the best compliment I can give an author. A timeless work of fiction that will leave you thinking about the past and the future and what your reaction would be to a similar emergency. A hopeful read.

Still Missing

On the day she was abducted, Annie O’Sullivan, a 32-year-old Realtor, had three goals: sell a house, forget about a recent argument with her mother, and be on time for dinner with her ever-patient boyfriend. The open house is slow, but when her last visitor pulls up in a van as she’s about to leave, Annie thinks it just might be her lucky day after all.

Where does Still Missing rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I've just finished everything I can find by Chevy Stevens and this was among the best. If you like James Patterson or Gillian Flynn, you'll probably like this. A woman goes missing, stalked and hunted by a sadistic serial killer. She fights back. We all feel that justice was served and we were entertained in the process. I'd listen to anything Stevens dishes up.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I would have listened in one sitting if possible--couldn't wait to get back to it each day.

Any additional comments?

This is not fine literature but it's a fast-paced and pretty believable thriller with lots going for it. A great summer read for those, like me, who like a bit of adrenaline with their lemonade.

Defending Jacob: A Novel

Andy Barber has been an assistant district attorney in his suburban Massachusetts county for more than 20 years. He is respected in his community, tenacious in the courtroom, and happy at home with his wife, Laurie, and son, Jacob. But when a shocking crime shatters their New England town, Andy is blindsided by what happens next: his 14-year-old son is charged with the murder of a fellow student.

Defending Jacob is in some ways a morality tale like "To Kill a Mockingbird." There is a trial and unlike those famous media trials played out in today's news, this one makes it clear that when there is a crime, there is no winner and no loser. There are more shades of gray than black and white. Family relationships complicate all things and our very humanity should make it clear that we all walk a tightrope of right and wrong, good and bad. There is so much to think about that I'm still pondering the insights many weeks after my listen. The author did an outstanding job of creating an engaging, adrenalin packed murder drama that's so much more than the sum of its parts. It's also a tale about how we protect ourselves from the things we are unwilling to accept.

Who was the most memorable character of Defending Jacob and why?

Jacob's father and mother come to their understanding of Jacob's situation each in their own way. They stop to question themselves constantly--which is something parents are prone to do. It's natural. The many layers of their thoughts and emotions were revealed slowly with dawning realizations and stunning realism.

Any additional comments?

This is a beautifully wrought tale of our relationships with our own children and what responsibility we hold for their frailties, wrapped up in a courtroom thriller. Excellent read!

The Drop: Harry Bosch, Book 17

Harry Bosch has been given three years before he must retire from the LAPD, and he wants cases more fiercely than ever. In one morning, he gets two. DNA from a 1989 rape and murder matches a 29-year-old convicted rapist. Was he an eight-year-old killer, or has something gone terribly wrong in the new Regional Crime Lab? Then Bosch and his partner are called to a death scene fraught with internal politics....

This was my first Harry Bosch novel. I'm never sure about beginning a series so late (#17), but now I'm hooked and will go back and pick up some of the earlier ones. Bosch is a believable and sympathetic cop who holds up to a lot of adversity. He's not perfect--but very likeable.

The many uses of the symbolism of "a drop" were extremely interesting. The author was able to keep several stories balanced simultaneously, which made it a fast read. When one mystery concluded, there were a couple others which kept me racing to the finish. Beautifully woven together.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

There were enough plot twists to keep me anxious to get to the next chapter and they all had a common thread of "the drop" which created a harmonious set of subplots.

What about Len Cariou’s performance did you like?

It was difficult at first because he has a very rough voice, but after awhile I came to associate it with the main character and then it added to the story.

Any additional comments?

An intelligent thriller with flawed and believable characters. Everything you could ask from this genre. Loved it and will be back for more Harry Bosch.

One Second After

Already cited on the floor of Congress and discussed in the corridors of the Pentagon as a book all Americans should read, One Second After is the story of a war scenario that could become all too terrifyingly real. Based upon a real weapon - the Electro Magnetic Pulse (EMP) - which may already be in the hands of our enemies, it is a truly realistic look at the awesome power of a weapon that can destroy the entire United States.

The writing was depressingly shallow and none of the characters reacted as they should. Although the main character is a Colonel in the military, he is constantly shocked and surprised by the way people are reacting to what appears to be an apocalyptic emergency. Then, during a mad rush for supplies, he takes time out to explain everything from the history of EMP's to which countries have been working on strategic weapons, to a bunch of townspeople who have apparently been hiding under a rock. If the town were populated by ten year olds, I expect they'd be more educated. It is unfortunate when a novelist has to cram his entire back story into a pedantic monologue at the feet of fools.

Surprisingly (or not surprisingly if this were a TV movie of the week which had to wrap up in 2 hours), despite heavy looting our hero is able to find just the thing he needs, untrampled and hidden all the way in the back where no other person has managed to find it.. The last bags of ice, the last candy bars, the last cans of Ensure. This guy's incredibly lucky! The rest of the town is not very persistent in their quest for survival, so they keep leaving the last of everything for him!

For a great post-apocalyptic book which is as fresh as the day it was written, try "Alas Babylon" by Pat Frank, and don't waste your money on this badly put together junk. I don't bother writing bad reviews, but I'm so disappointed that I spent money on this and I'm done assaulting my ears, so into the trash bin it goes.

Have you listened to any of Joe Barrett’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

The Keeper of Lost Causes: Department Q, Book 1

Jussi Adler-Olsen is Denmark's premier crime writer. His books routinely top the bestseller lists in northern Europe, and he's won just about every Nordic crime-writing award, including the prestigious Glass Key Award-also won by Henning Mankell, Stieg Larsson, and Jo Nesbo. Now, Dutton is thrilled to introduce him to America.

I've been on a Scandi lit bender and each book gets better. I am in love with Department Q and it's two and only sleuths. It's possible that I might have a hissy-fit waiting for the next book to be turned into an audio. Keeper of Lost Causes kept me riveted until the very last five minutes. It was a roller-coaster thrill ride, with no sense that you knew the outcome. A truly unique and twisted plot by an outstanding author. The performance was pitch-perfect. The characters are etched in my mind and my heart, each as sure individuals. This is one of the best audiobooks I've listened to. Highly recommended! Fast paced, fascinating and with characters as flawed and wonderful as exist in literature.

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